China's peaceful rise benefits world: scholar
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2005-12-29 08:37

China's strategy to develop itself peacefully is conducive to safeguarding world peace and promoting common development, said a Chinese military scholar in an article.

Xiong Guangkai, author of the article "Firm Adherence to Peaceful Development and Appropriate Response to Diversified Security Threats," stressed that China firmly sticks to a peaceful development approach.

China is trying to create a peaceful international environment for the benefit of its own growth and is trying to make its due contribution to world peace, stability and prosperity.

The article acknowledged that China is playing an active role within various bilateral and multilateral mechanisms.

In recent years, China has engaged in creating a friendly neighborhood with adjacent countries. It has thoroughly addressed its border issues with Russia and other northwestern neighbors according to the principle of mutual understanding and mutual accommodation. China, the Philippines and Vietnam made breakthroughs in jointly exploring resources in the South China Sea. The Declaration on Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea was signed between China and the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations).

Xiong described China as a country taking up a bigger role under multilateral frameworks, including the APEC, the ASEAN plus China (10+1), and the ASEAN plus China, Japan and the Republic of Korea (10+3).

The country has become an important part of the international cooperation on combating terrorism, the major mediating force and organizer of the tri-party and the six-party talks aimed at resolving the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue, and a major player in the UN Security Council, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and the ASEAN Regional Forum.

"China is cooperating with its neighbors and other countries in a bid to maintain the peace and stability of Asia and the world atlarge." said the article.

Xiong noted in the article that China's peaceful development isboosting the world's economic growth.

Figures show that China's imported commodities totaled 1.7698 trillion U.S. dollars from its entry into the World Trade Organization on Dec. 11, 2001 to Sept. 2005, nearly 500 billion U.S. dollars per annum. The import volume generated about 10 million jobs in those exporting countries.

At the present pace, the imported commodities are expected to surpass 3 trillion U.S. dollars in the next five years, a huge impetus to global economic growth and prosperity.

The article highlighted China's concrete efforts in seeking peace and development and assuming greater responsibilities.

China determined not to depreciate its currency amid the East Asian financial crisis in 1997. Generous disaster relief was donated by the country to those areas damaged by the tsunami of the Indian Ocean in 2004, to the earthquake-shaken regions of Pakistan and the southern part of the United States swept by Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

"As peace, development and cooperation remain the mainstream ofthe current world, China will unswervingly stick to a road of peaceful development." the article said.